Railway-order recorder.



No. 650,435. Patented May29, I900.

W. R. THOMAS 8:. H. FJLANEE.

RAILWAY ORDER RECORDER. (Application filed Nov. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES.

PATENT. Erica;

lVILLIAM R. THOMAS AND HENRY F. LANGE, OF XVATERTOWN, YVISCONSIN.

RAILWAY-ORDER RECORDER.

SPECIFICATIDN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 650,43 5, dated May 29, 1900.

Application filed November 27, 1899. Serial No. 788,301. (No model.)

To (0Z5 whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM R. THOMAS and HENRY F. LANGE, citizens of the United States, residing at WVatertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Order Recorders, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a device by which a locomotive-engineer may easily and quickly make a plain and conspicuous record of the stations along his line of travel at which he has received orders to stop in such a manner that the liability of such record being misplaced or forgotten is overcome and the danger from accident from such causes is avoided.

Our invention is further explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a preferred manner of supporting our device in the cab of a locomotive in connection with the steam-gage, whereby the same light which illuminates the names of the stations in the record also serves to illuminate the dial of the gage. Fig. 2 represents a front view of the recorderin which the names of two of the stations are uncovered and exposed to view. Fig. 3 isa vertical section of the recorder drawn on line 00 0c of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail showing a longitudinal section of one of the rollers upon which the scroll containing the names of the stations is wound and supported.

Like parts are identified by the same ref: erence-letters throughout the several views.

A represents the scroll upon which a series of names B B of the several stations are printed in plain letters. The scroll A is formed of cloth orother flexible fabric, the respective ends of which are secured to the rollers O and D, which rollers O and D are in turn supported from the walls of the inclosin g case E upon the shafts F F, which shafts have bearings in the respective sides of the case, as shown in Fig. 2. The scroll A contains all the names of the several stations along the particular portion of the railway over which the locomotive is run. The names of the several stations are arranged conspicuously upon the scroll in the same order that they are located upon the line of the railway. For example, in traveling from Milwaukee to Portage the train passes the following stations in the order given: Milwaukee, North Avenue, North Milwaukee, Granville, Germantown, Richfield, Rugby Junction, Ackerville, 850., and the names upon the scroll,begiuning with Milwaukee at the top, are arranged consecutively in such order. When the recorder is in its normal condition, the names of the several stations are located 011 the scroll opposite the respective apertures G G of the inclosing case. Presuming that the engineer, before leaving Milwaukee, has received an order to stop his train at North Milwaukee and Richfield and presuming all of the apertures are closed by the covers 11 H, the record of such stations at which he is instructed to stop is made by removing the covers Hfrom in front of the names of such stations, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the engineer has before him in plain letters and in a conspicuous place the names of the two stations North Milwaukee and Richfield, at which he has orders to stop his train. Presuming that he has passed North Milwaukee, the name of such station is again covered.

In thecase shown six names are located in front of the several apertures at a given time,

and it is obvious that any one or more of such stations at which the engineer is to stop may be indicated by removing the covers H in front of such names. It is also obvious that when such six stations have been passed the scroll may be rolled so as to bring'the names of six additional stations in-front of said apertures, and thus the scroll may be adjusted from time to time as the train proceeds from station to station until all the stations along the route of the locomotive have been traversed. As the route is thus traversed the scroll'is moved from the lower roller D to the" upper roller 0 by turning the knob I of the upper roller until the names of all of said stations are brought before said aperturesJ the lower knob 1, whereby the scroll is drawn from the upper roller 0 and wound upon the lower roller D.

The several covers H are secured tothe inclosing case E in any convenient manner.

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By the form illustrated, however, they are secured at one end to the case by the pivots K, which .pass through loosely-fitting apertures L, formed therefor in the ends of the covers, while said covers are retained in their horizontal position in front of the apertures by a series of brackets M, which project from the side of said case and engage the front ends of said covers.

It will be understood that when desirous to expose any of said station-names to view it is simply necessary to raise the free end of the cover far enough to disengage it from said brackets, when it is permitted to drop of its own gravity to the vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, thus exposing the name of the station at which it is desirous to stop. To prevent the liability of the scroll being accidentally moved by the jarring of the locomotive, a friction bearing-spring N is provided at one end of the respective rollers O and D. The spring N is located in a recess 0, formed at the center of said rollers, and is slightly compressed when putting said rollers in place between its retaining-walls, whereby by the recoil of said spring against one side of said case the opposite end of said roller is forced against the opposite side of said case, thereby producing the required friction to prevent said rollers from being accidentally rotated and said scroll from getting out of adjustment.

The scroll A is preferably formed of translucent material through which light from a I lamp P is adapted to pass, whereby said names are illuminated and easily distinguished. The lamp P is supported in a suitable receptacle or lantern Q, which has an aperture R at one side through which the light passes to the steam-gage S.

The record-case is preferably supported in conjunction with the steam-gage, as shown in Fig. 1, upon a supporting-bearing T, whereby the lamp P performs the twofold function of lighting both the record and the steamgage.

For convenience in reaching the lamp for the purpose of removingor filling the same the scroll-supporting case E is secured to the front of the lantern by the hinge U, whereby when released from the retaining-catch V, located at its lower end, said case E maygbe swung outwardly and upwardly, when said.

lamp may be readily removed.

It is also obvious that the numbers of the several stations may be substituted for the names.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railway-order recorder, the combination of a series of names or characters, in-

dicating the several stations of a railway, consecutively arranged upon a movable background in the order corresponding with their locations along the road; means for moving and adjusting said background with said names or characters; and a series of covers or shields adapted, when in their normal po- 1 sition, to obscure such names or characters from View, and to be readily removed so as to expose the names or characters of which it is desirous to make a record, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a railway-order recorder, the combination of a flexible scroll, upon which the names of the several stations of a railway are indicated in the order corresponding with the location of said stations along the road means for adj ustably supporting said scroll; and a series of removable shields or covers, adjustably supported in front of a number of said names or characters, and adapted to be readily removed from in front of the particu lar names or characters indicating the stations of which it is desirous to make a record, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a railway-order recorder, the combination of a flexible scroll, upon which the names of stations of a railway are indicated; a suitable inclosure for said scroll; two scrollsupporting rollers having axial bearings at their respective ends, in the walls of said inclosure, the respective ends of said scroll being attached to said rollers respectively, said scroll being adapted to be wound from one of said rollers to the other; a series of apertures formed through the front of said inclosure,

registering with the names of stations indicated; a series of movable shields or covers, supported from the side of said inclosure in front of the names indicated, and adapted to be readily removed so as to expose and produce a record of the desired stations, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a railway-order recorder, the combination of the inclosing case E; a flexible fabric A, upon which the names of several stations of a railway are indicated; fabricsupporting rollers F, having axial bearings at their respective ends in the walls of said inclosing case, said fabric being attached at its respective ends to said rollers respectively,

and adapted to be wound from one of said rollers to the other; means for preventing accidental movement of said rollers and fabric;

WILLIAM R. THOMAS, HENRY F. LANGE.

Witnesses:

NICHOLAS THANER,- CHAS. A. SKINNER. 

